There is no real debate among those in elected office in Burnaby on issues that matter.
With all seven school trustees, the mayor and his eight councillors, three out of four MLAs and two MPs all card-carrying members of one political party, it is difficult to believe dissenting points of view are taken seriously by our elected representatives. I’ve been told that out of the public eye this political force has some divisions, but a strong commitment to party solidarity and fear of all other points of view ensures that the public sees only the polite, rehearsed monologues that masquerade as “debate” at council meetings.
Even membership on city committees is subject to the blessings of His Worship, the mayor, so it is difficult to conceive that they are representing an independent point of view.
Without an opposition and with a largely apathetic electorate, questions never get asked or if they are asked, never get properly addressed.
Unfortunately, electing an opposition to ask tough questions in Burnaby is, needless to say, a challenge. The current council has worked hard to ensure electoral reforms levelling the playing field will not be enacted anytime soon. With exclusive access to union donations, Burnaby has opposed spending and contribution limits in local elections and has come out in favour of longer terms in office.
In the last election, 49 per cent of the BCA’s funding came from local unions. In addition, the Burnaby Teachers’ Association spent over $11,000 in support of the BCA’s school trustee candidates.
With each election, the Burnaby Citizens’ Association gets stronger; they attract more donations, giving them greater resources to identify their supporters and persuade them to get out and vote.
I recall the many phone calls I received from NDP volunteers and even my MP endorsing the mayor as someone my MP “could work with.” All told, the BCA spent $243,683 in the 2008 election and over $269,000 in 2011.
This strength will inevitably hit taxpayers in the pocket. To illustrate, in 2007, just prior to the economic downturn, the union representing city employees negotiated a 17.5 per cent pay increase over five years. After the 2011 civic election, where the BCA swept all seats for a second time, the city and union negotiated a new contract in record time. While the pay increase of 6.5 per cent was significantly lower than the previous increase, the union and city agreed not to release the details of the benefits package to the public. The argument was that they did not want to influence bargaining in other municipalities.
One year later, the details in this “memorandum of understanding on about 50 items” have still not been revealed to the public. Improved benefits have a quantifiable value that taxpayers deserve to know about. Where is the transparency? Where is the accountability? In such a secretive environment, one can only speculate about what the cost to taxpayers will be. Current collective agreements will expire after the next civic election, and unless there is elected opposition these deals will be hidden from the critical eye of the public.
So to whom do I complain? My BCA/NDP city councillor? My NDP MLA who happens to be married to the mayor? My NDP MPs who actively campaign for the BCA? Certainly, it is not just me who is concerned about this.
“If this trend continues,” suggests the Georgia Straight’s Charlie Smith, “it’s a recipe for more arrogance and possibly more corruption at the municipal level of government.”
Until there is some movement in local governance from the benevolent dictatorship we currently have toward a fair participatory democracy, I feel compelled to continue asking uncomfortable questions and echoing the concerns of others. I hope others will unite and join me in shining a bright light on city hall.
Rick McGowan is a member of the Burnaby Municipal Green Party.
